Executive Voice: the power of podcasts

I read an interesting article on the BBC website about podcasts:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/programmes/click_online/9545533.stm

With social media being the buzz word du jour, it appears that podcasts are no longer in vogue. It appears that everyone is tweeting; on facebook, or for work on Linkedin. However, the BBC has discovered that podcasts are being downloaded and listened to more.

As a communication tool, podcasts are very useful in that they have a human contact element to them. We engaged with the human voice in a way that Twitter -which of course has it's own uses, does not. Listening to tips on setting up a business; training for the marathon or even deciding what to cook for supper tonight engage many people that prefer audio communication to the written word. Using podcasts transmits information to more people than written word only.

I currently use audioboo for my podcasts (although I am just about to change). My channel is www.audioboo.fm/executivevoice

Tweeting is only one way of engaging clients

I have a number of acquaintances I have met through business, who rave about Twitter. They have had seriously good results from Twitter: linking up with a number of people; getting business this way; having thousands of followers to their tweets. This is brilliant and I am really pleased for them. In this world, success stories are uplifting!

However, I have also met people, that I have engaged with; subsequently worked with, and who now appear to have moved onto the next 100 people to engage with and be followed by. These particular people rave about Social Media as if it is the ONLY business tool to use, yet they've unfortunately disengaged me! Emma Freud mentioned that at a party, her sister ignored her because she wanted to speak to her new 'Twitter' friends that were there. 

And last week I was at a select business meeting where I started a conversation with another business owner. On trying to find out more about her business she said 'Do you go on Twitter; if you follow me, then you'll know what I'm doing!" Yet I was in the room with her; face to face engagement is invaluable for starting a business relationship!

There is no doubt that Twitter and other Social Media packages are an invaluable business tool for engaging with other businesses and to establish a rapport. From tweeting I have gone on to arrange face to face meetings and to develop the business relationship further, and postings are a great way to keep people up to date with what you are doing.

But relationships are more than collecting as many followers as possible; and there is a process from initially connecting with a person via Linkedin, Twitter, Facebook etc, to picking up a phone and interacting as human beings - rather than via a computer. Once the human interaction takes place, the business relationship moves forward far faster. Face to face meetings also play a major impact in this; the number of times I have gone out of my way to pop into a new contact - which has led to business is significant, yet I'd been emailing for some time before that!

However, even after telephone or face to face meetings, you STILL need to maintain the relationship, and tweeting alone isn't enough. You almost need to be more personal; more hard working with these relationships once you've reached this level.

The social media expert Eileen Brown, says that you need to monitor how long you spend each week on Social Media; measure the results and effectiveness of your activities and don't spend more than 5 hours a week. She is an expert and I believe her advice is valid: it is easy to get sucked into building up a large following which takes up time, and does not lead to significant business or to developing long term business relationships.

In the end it is about balance, and the realisation that people buy from people. Let's not forget the power of ourselves - our physical presence and voices, in selling our services.

The Apprentice: All talk and no action

There is no doubt that Melody has an impressive CV: being tutored by world leaders including the Dalai Lama and Al Gore. Winning a number of awards and running a Global Industry. Then why don't I take her seriously and respect her?

Really it is the outlandish self promotion; the talking; the inability to answer the question 'What do you do?'; the arrogance. In our youth, we all over emphasise our achievements, but we learn when to stop and when not to over exaggerate. Yet Melody's exaggeration appears to be a business version of those X Factor candidates, that despite being tone deaf, really believe they are star singers.

Of course, for the BBC, Melody was gold dust; she provided excellent TV with her memorable claims and quotes, and her obvious business flaws. It was hilarious that she was unable to explain the nature of her business: something that anyone would ask - and demand a simple explanation.

However, my concern is that she is obviously a role model for young people; she coaches in communication skills, yet she had a style that invited ridicule and disbelief. Is exaggerating experience really going to win a young person a job, or investment in new business? Is this communication style going to win a young person respect in an adult world?

Recently I was an invited guest at a conference. One of the speakers was a beautiful young woman, who specialised in 'communications'. She spent her 30 minute speech, talking herself up, and outrageously name dropping. Her feedback marks were very low, with some devastating comments. At no time did she engage her audience; she never indicated how she might help of assist any of the businesses represented at the conference, and as a result, didn't create any possibility of trust or of any future rapport. It was a puffed up presentation by someone that gave little indication that she could cope with anything more demanding that the primary school tuck shop, with adult help. I have no idea how good this woman was at her job, but her communication and presentation style was flawed.

Youthful optimism and lack of fear is such a powerful tool, and one that we all want to encourage within young people. However, this style of communication, and mind set is doing no favours to our young people. There are plenty of fabulous young people, however, the promotion of this style of b***shitting, as being in any way acceptable, is risible - and won't lead to any more people being able to win investment for their businesses or job offers.

The crazy thing was that for a moment, we saw a less arrogant Melody in 'Your Fired'. She suddenly became the 26 year old that she is: passionate, wanting to learn and humble. It was only for a brief second, but it left me sad that she wasn't able to be herself - rather she'd decided to portray herself as a Global Leader.